I've had a pretty good reading week: some fantasy and even a dash of contemporary. Gasp, I know.
Title: A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3)
Publisher: Tor
Rating: 4 Stars
The Shades of Magic series unexpectedly made me fall in love with characters and I'm sure a piece of my heart remains with this series. I'll be honest and say that this book didn't have the explosive ending that I was anticipating, but I loved the ending that V.E. Schwab gave all of our characters. While I was eagerly awaiting Lila and Kell's relationship, their chapters didn't capture my attention as much as I had wanted. Instead, I was drawn to Rhys and Holland. Their growth was unbelievable and I appreciated that Schwab explored the grey morality within everyone.
Title: Empress of All Seasons
Publisher: HMH for Young Readers
Rating: 4 Stars
Standalone YA fantasy novels are far and few in-between, so Empress of All Seasons was a much welcomed surprise. The world was laid out very clearly, and it was nice to read a non-Western fantasy world. For readers who enjoy plot over characters, this will be a fun read. The pacing kept the book moving without feeling that it was rushed or skipped over important elements. I enjoyed myself every step of the way, but as a character-driven reader, I wanted a bit more depth from our characters. Regardless, this is a book I'll recommend to anyone in the mood for a one-and-done fantasy.
Title: How She Died, How I Lived
Publisher: Little, Brown
Rating: 4 Stars
How She Died, How I Lived isn't my normal read, but I couldn't let go of the idea of a girl struggling with survivor's guilt after a classmate was murdered. Our main character was a nameless female high school student who received a text from neighborhood weirdo Kyle one random summer day. She never responded to him, but she had planned to. Instead, sweet Jamie answered his call for company and was sexually assaulted and brutally murdered. How She Died, How I Lived reminded me a bit of The Female of the Species because of its conversations of violence done to women and the assumption men have over women's bodies. Overall, How She Died, How I Lived was a thoughtful story that explored trauma, love after loss, friendship, and forgiveness. I recommend this to readers who enjoy quieter books that explore growth.
Have you read any of the above?
What was the last stand-alone fantasy novel you read?
Got any mystery/thriller books to recommend? I know that wasn't it purpose, but How She Died, How I Lived got me in the mood for a thriller.
Labels: 4 stars, a conjuring of light, book review, emiko jean, empress of all seasons, hmh books for young readers, how she died how I lived, les petites revues, little brown, mary crockett, tor, v.e. schwab
Title: A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3)
